The subject matter herein generally relates to connector guide modules and, more particularly, to backplane connector guide modules.
Backplane connector guide modules are used to mate two electrical components together. For example, backplane connector guide modules may be used to mechanically guide and align two components when the components are mated. These guide modules include a guide pin and a receptacle. The guide pin is mounted on one component and the receptacle is mounted on the other component. The two components are aligned with respect to one another by inserting the guide pin into the receptacle. The receptacle aligns to the guide pin as the components are mated.
However, existing guide pins and receptacles do not provide an indication or electrical signal when the guide pin is fully inserted into the receptacle. Instead, several electrical pins are used. For example, one of the two components includes several pins. These pins are inserted into the other component when the two components are mated. These pins may be signal or power pins, for example. A signal pin is a pin configured to communicate a data signal. A power pin is a pin configured to supply power to another device.
These pins typically are used to provide an electric signal when the two components are fully mated. For example, when a first component is mated with a second component, the pins that are connected to the first component communicate a signal or power to the second component. The two components are fully mated if the signal or power communicated from these pins is received by the second component. The two components are not fully mated if the signal or power communicated from these pins is not received by the second component. In this way, the two components can determine if the components are fully mated.
Using existing signal and power pins to detect the mating of two components reduces the total number of available pins used for communicating data signals or power between the two components. Typically, the total number of pins on one of the components is fixed. Using these pins to detect the mating of the components reduces the number of pins that may be used to communicate a data signal or power. Moreover, these pins may be bent and otherwise damaged during the mating of the two components. When the pins are bent or damaged, the pins may not be able to communicate a signal or power. When the pins are unable to communicate the signal or power, the two components may not be able to determine that the two components are fully mated.
Thus, a need exists for an assembly that provides mechanical guidance to two components being mated with one another and confirmation when the two components are mated. Moreover, a need exists for such an assembly that does not reduce the number of pins that are used to communicate data signals or power from one component to the other.